Hand bandaging unit



F. HoLM 2,561,863

HAND BANDAGING UNIT ruled Aprll 1 1949 A INVENToR fm/z 1Y0/m HTTNEY i July 24, 1951 Patented July 24, 1 951 2,561,863 Hann AinmlmcnNG UNIT y Fail-,1i"-Itlin,'North Chatham,'Mass. I i Application `April I1., 1949, serial No. 84.840

l The present invention relates-to,ihandband aging means, and more particularly to a unitaryA mitten-like structure serving as `'a bandage for the hand.

One of the difficulties encountered in applying surgical bandages to the `hand Iisthat the bandage must be, wrapped -in a vmanner whereby the person is practically completely `disabled from using the ngersof the hand, even in cases where the injury to the hand-otherwise would not prevent `full or partial usefulness cf the fingers. is particularly annoying because the injured person thus is less useful and :requires greater 'attention, assistance, and Vcare fromothers. .las fa result, fthe injured .person may berequired .to remain absent from his place of employment and may lose compensation for the failure to perform his services.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved hand bandaging unit which overcomes the foregoing diiliculties and disadvantages.

Another object is to provide a hand bandaging unit which does not prevent usefulness of the lingers.

Another object is to provide a hand bandaging unit of the foregoing character which is simple in construction and is economical to manufacture.

Another object is to provide a hand band-aging unit of the foregoing character which is easily applied with a minimum of skill, thus minimizing the amount of professional attention heretofore required for rebandaging the injury during the healing thereof. l

A further object isto provide a hand bandaging unit which is Iadapted to be washed and sterilized thereby enabling it to be reused several times.

Other and furtherobjects will be obvious upon an understanding of .the illustrative embodiment about to be described, or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of the specification, wherein:

Figure 1 is a developed plan View of a blank from which the hand bandaging unit in accordance with the invention is constructed.

Figure 2 is Ia plan view on a reduced scale `of the completed hand bandaging unit.

. 2 I 1 Figure 3 is fa perspective view illustrating the bandaging unit partially applied to the hand.

`lligure 4 is a perspective view of the backof the `'hand with the bandaging `unit applied. l

Figure 5 isa perspective view of the l*pa-lin of the .hand with the bandaging unit applied.

l Referring to `the drawing in detail and more particularly to :Figure k1 thereof, there isV shown a substantially vrectangular fabric blank |10 Afrom which the hand bandaging unit is constructed. The :blank :hasfa V-shaped notch Il` atiits upper end (which becomes the :forward rend :of the 'unit` with respect `to the rhand.) substantially at the middle thereof 'defined by the broken line I-2, and has an aperture =|4 :along the line I2 :adjacent 'but spaced :from the notchil. or forward corners of the blank are formed with arcuate cutaway portions or recesses I5, whereby the lower portions (or palm and wrist portions for thehand) at the sides extend further outwardly to provide flaps I6 to which a strap I1 is secured. A pair of vertical slits I8 is formed in the body just below the aperture I4 and to one side thereof. The function of the elements will become apparent from the description about to follow.

In Figure 2 the blank is shown folded along the center line I2 and sewn at the upper or forward portion thereof by longitudinal parallel stitching I9, 2D, and 2| to provide a plurality of individual finger openings. The aperture I4 provides an opening through which the thumb ls adapted to extend; the fold at I2 and the stitching I9 cooperate to provide an opening for the index nger; the stitching I5 and 2|) cooperate to provide an opening for the middle finger; the stitching 2D and 2| cooperate to provide an opening for the ring finger; and the stitching 2| spaces the ring nger and little finger whereby the latter is adapted to extend outwardly of the recesses I5. The slits I8 may be used selectively in conjunction with the straps toV enable the unit to accommodate hands of various sizes.

In Figures 3, 4, and 5, the bandaging unit is illustrated applied to the hand. In order to apply the unit the thumb, index finger, middle iinger, and ring finger are inserted through their respective openings as shown. A compress or other dressing (not shown) is placed on the injured portion of the hand, and the flap I6, shown in broken lines (Figure 3), is folded about the back of the hand and tucked Vunder the other flap thereby enabling the little finger to extend outwardly beyond the recesses I5 of the flaps. The strap |1 of the aforementioned flap extends about Both of the upper` 3 the top of the wrist, within the unit, and is passed outwardly through one of the slits I8 positioned at the underside of the wrist. The other flap I6 is then folded inwardly under the palm of the hand (Figure and the strap I7 and this flap is tied in a bow or is knotted to the other strap. In lieu of the straps l1, the Wrist portions of the unit could be secured together about the wrist by adhesive tape. l As will be seenlinFgures 4 and 5, the unit provides a mitten-like structure for the hand which enables the injured person to move the thumb and fingers and thereby retain at least partial usefulness of the hand. y. From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the present invention provides a simple and practical hand bandaging unit which is economical to'manufacture, and can be readily applied to the hand. y, f

It will be understoodllthat the unit may be formed of any suitable pliable fabric, for example surgical gauze, cottonor linen cloth, cloth or-lms ofi synthetic materials, orrubber, or any `of the foregoing fabrics impregnated Yor otherwise treated to render them impervious. It will also be appreciated that the compress or-dressing, if desired, may be embodied as a layer of the material from which the unit is constructed whereby the insertion of a compress is not required.

"As various changes mayb'e made in the form,` construction and arrangement of the parts herein, without departing from the spirit and scope vof the invention, as claimed, and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all mattersare to be interpreted atomes as illustrative and not in any limiting sense, X-f cept as limited by the claims.

I claim:

1. A hand bandaging unit comprising a fabric body in the form of a mitten having finger opening means divided to provide individual openings for the index, middle, and ring fingers, a thumb aperture at one side thereof, and an opening at the side opposite said thumb aperture extending from end to end of saidv last mentioned side, portions of vsaid body adjacent a forward end of said last mentioned opening being recessed to 'enable the little nger to extend therethrough.

2.v A hand bandaging unit comprising a fabric body in the form of a mitten having finger open- 'ing means at a forward end thereof, a thumb f aperture at rone side thereof, and an opening at the side opposite said thumb aperture extending from end to end of said last mentioned side to provide aps adjacent said side opening adapted to be partially wrapped about the hand; and a strap secured to each flap for tying said body about the Wrist. i y. i i

FAITH HOLM. Y 1

, REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le'of this patent:

'UNITED STATESKPA'I'EINTS Date y Number Name i 1,254,593 Heber 1 Jan., 22,1918? 2,074,762 Seyfried Mar. 23,1937 2,369,210, Capossela Feb. 13, 1945 2,429,563 Palutzke Oct. 21, 1947 

